Soul Mates Through Literacy
by Madame Declin du jour
Summary: Bella Swan has decided to leave London and goes to live with her father Charlie Swan in Forks. When there she meets her "Soul Mate". They bond through their love of Literature. But, things are never that easy! ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - I don't own Twilight, any of the characters, plot or locations that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...That's not me.**

Chapter 1

_First Encounter_

My mother drove like a maniac in order to make it to the airport on time. We had the roof down and my hair was whipping my face, turning my cheeks red. It was almost freezing, but that didn't stop my mother from showing off in her new car. I looked up to admire the cloudy, grey sky and sighed; I would miss the weather. I was wearing my favourite leather jacket. It was simple and dark grey. I didn't have much to take with me. Just one suitcase and my carry-on item. A book.

It's a small town where my father lives. Picturesque and sunny, with palm trees and little white houses with perfect green lawns. It has almost constant sun. It rains on the insignificant town less than anywhere else in the country. The rain is what I will miss most about my town. I would miss going outside just to get soaked and then having a nice hot, bubble bath waiting for me inside.

My mother had enough of the town when I was around six months old. She divorced my dad and we fled the sun to live in London. In the rain and smog. It was a huge change; going from the peaceful quaint town she was used to, to the crowded, busy inner city. It is all I've ever known. Charlie had only ever come to visit me, so I had no idea what his home town was like.

I was now going to expel myself there. Even if I would detest it. I loved London. It's large, sprawling city that I'd come to call home.

"Bella-" My mother called just before I boarded the plane. "You can still change your mind"

My mother looked like me. The same oval shaped face and hazel-brown eyes. The only difference was that she has better skin than me and has shorter blonde/brown hair. I felt a surge of panic as I looked into her wide, child-like eyes that were beginning to tear up. How was I going to cope without my best friend? She had Phil now so at least I knew that she wouldn't be lonely, knowing that she wasn't alone put my fears to rest.

"I want to go mom," I told her. I'd be a nice change to be able to sunbathe and swim out the back garden.

"Tell Charlie I said Hey?"

"Of Course" I smiled.

"I'll see you soon," she insisted "I'll come to get you in a flash if you need me honey. Remember that".

"Stop worrying" I urged "It'll be great. I love you" I pulled her into a tight hug, then quickly turned and boarded the plane.

It was ten hour flight from London to the USA and then we'd need to drive from the airport to this town, called Forks. Flying doesn't bother me at all. I've gotten used to it. The car ride, well I was slightly concerned about that. It was sure to be awkward with Charlie.

Verbose or loquacious are definitely not Charlie's traits. I wouldn't know what to say anyways, even if he were. He wasn't showing a lot of enthusiasm about the move. I think he's used to being a bachelor now, and doesn't know how to deal with a 16 year old girl.

When I landed in America it was boiling. I had to remove my jacket, luckily I had put a white and lace vest on underneath. I loved the sun; the blazing heat beating down on my face. I always looked forward to when my mother and I went on our annual holiday abroad. I would definitely miss the rain, sleet and snow though. I'd even miss the bitter, cold winds that helped me wake up in the morning.

I walked off of the plane to the baggage claim. Gathering my suitcase and duffle bag, I looked for Charlie. It took a while until I finally saw him. His eyes were shifting to different places of the airport. I walked towards him. He spotted me and pulled me into an awkward hug. He took my bags and we made idle chit-chat until we reached his car. A Police Cruiser. He was the Chief of Police. He set my things in the trunk and head for home.

"So how was the flight?" Charlie asked.

"It was long," I answered simply. I had spent most of the flight either sleeping or reading my favourite book, Wuthering Heights. Charlie asked about how Renee was. After that the ride was silent.

After a short time, we arrived at our home. It was just like it was in the photos my mother had from fifteen years ago. I guess Charlie wasn't one for change. The white washed walls and concrete steps leading up to a bright, red front door. It looked homely. Charlie lugged my suitcase up the stairs for me.

"There ya go Bells…I'll leave you to it." One thing that's good about Charlie: He doesn't hover.

I went and unpacked my stuff in the small room. The walls were a light blue and yellow curtains hung from the small window. The small double bed that sat in the middle had a quilt and purple sheets covering it. The closet wasn't anything fancy, but it was big enough to hold all my clothes...I only had a little. Most of my London clothes were too warm for the weather here. I had really pooled my resources to pack a decent summer wardrobe. It was still extremely scanty. I wasn't one for dresses and shorts.

After unpacking everything, I went down stairs to see what was for dinner. Charlie could only make a few things. My favourite being mushroom ravioli. There was a loud rap on the door and Charlie answered it. I could hear murmuring from the living room.

"Bells, get in here" Charlie called.

I walked into the living room to find two other people. One was in a wheelchair that was by the side of the sofa. He was old-ish. I'd say he was around my dad's age. He had warm looking brown eyes that were very smiley. He had long dark hair that hung limply around his shoulders and a massive smile on his face. The second looked like a much younger version of the other. Same smiley eyes and long, dark hair. He was sitting shyly on the sofa.

"Bells this is Billy Black, from down on the Quileute Reservation…"

"Oh hi, nice to meet you." I asked looking at the old man.

"You too, Bella," He greeted.

They all settled into their seats to watch a game of Baseball. The Olympics was the only sport I'd watch on the television. But, even then, I didn't find it that interesting. I made myself dinner. Pasta, nice and simple.

Later on in the evening, I joined the men once again. The boy accompanying the old man was Jacob Black, his son. He seemed friendly enough. I decided he was a little too friendly. It was starting to make me uncomfortable. Just after they left Charlie remembered something.

"I got a surprise for ya" he said pointing to a rusty '53 Chevy truck. It's red paint was peeling in some places; mostly on the bulbous cap and it looked like a monster. It was awesome.

"So what do you think?" He asked nervously

"That's for me?" I asked disbelievingly. He nodded "Oh My God it's-this is perfect. Thanks dad!" I hugged him. It was very generous for my dad to get me a car. I decided to call it Big Red.

"Yes, I bought it off Billy. Got it real cheap 'cause he's in a wheelchair now so he's got no use for it," I smiled

"I don't know anything about cars dad, I mean it is pretty old….I don't really have enough to repair it-"

"Don't worry. Jacob is a great mechanic. Totally re-built the engine for ya. It runs great,"

"So when you say you had it cheap…how cheap is cheap?" I had only saved up a little money over the years and I was intending on using some for college.

"Well Bells, you don't need to worry about that. Think of it like a welcome present," He peeked at me with a hopeful expression. Probably wondering if I'd accept it. He knew I hated people spending money on me.

"Wow Free? Thanks dad," I beamed and gave him a one armed hug.

I learned that I wouldn't get my way with gifts so I figured I'd just accept it gracefully. It was a very nice gesture. It started to rain then, so we both hurried inside and settled in for the night. I was dreading school tomorrow. I didn't sleep well the constant noise of the rain pelting against the window kept me awake.

I finally managed to get to sleep around midnight after the rain turned into a slight drizzle. When I awoke early in the morning for school, all I could see from my window was fog. Breakfast with Charlie was silent. Neither of us felt the need to fill the time with mindless chatter. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three unlatching chairs and examined his small kitchen. It's dark panelled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor were exactly the same as they were fifteen years ago.

My mother had decorated the kitchen when she was pregnant with me. She wasn't too keen on sitting still. On the fireplace in the small family room were a row of pictures. One of my parents at their wedding in Las Vegas, One of the three of us just after I was born and then a procession of school photos up to the most recent from last year. They were extremely embarrassing and I had a sudden urge to hide them. But, I figured Charlie wouldn't appreciate that very much.

I didn't want to stay in the house any longer so I quickly ate my toast, donned my jacket and stepped out into the . It was only drizzling so I didn't get drenched when I quickly locked up and ran to my truck. It was just my luck that it rain the first day I'm here. I didn't get to admire my new car for a second time because I was in a hurry to escape the damp air that clung to the little hair peaking out from my hood. The truck roared to life. It reminded me of the lions Charlie watches on the nature channels. At least it did start, much to my relief. I turned on the ancient radio and listen to random 50s music as I drove to school. It was easy to find.

Forks High School only had three hundred and fifty-eight students including myself. Most of them would have grown up together. I was going to be seen as a curiosity; a freak. Perhaps, if I were a beautiful girl, I could've worked that to my advantage.

Unfortunately, I wasn't. I had very fair skin, it looked almost translucent in the light, plain brown hair and hazel eyes. I couldn't play any sports without injuring myself, the people around me or both. It wasn't just my appearance that made me stand out either. I didn't relate to people my own age. Or people in general really. Even my mother, who was the one I was closest to, always confided in, was never in harmony with me. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain. Something that made me see things differently than everyone else. All I knew was the effect it had. Today was definitely only the beginning.

. I parked outside the first building which had a large sign saying OFFICE outside. I jumped unwillingly out of my warm truck and hastily walked inside to the desk. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly.

Sitting at the desk was a middle-aged woman. Her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled right back into a bun at the back of her neck and held in place by many pins. She was wearing a white blouse with the buttons fasten all the way to the top, with a black cardigan. Her hollowed out blue eyes were framed with red glasses. The name tag she wore said she was Mrs. Cope. She looked at me kindly as I approached.

"How can I help you dear?" She asked in a friendly voice.

"Hello I'm Isabella Swan" I didn't need to go on as I saw the flash of recognition in her eyes. No doubt I had been talked about for weeks.

"Chief Swan's girl. Yes dear, I have your schedule and a map of the school here. You'll also have to get this slip signed by all your teachers and return it by the end of the day." I quickly thanked her and went to park my truck in the main car park.

I was relieved to see that most of the cars there were older than mine. There was only one shiny, silver Volvo parked at the end which was ostentatious. I looked at the map in my truck, hoping to memorize it so I wouldn't have to walk around with it all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, pulled the strap over my shoulder, and inhaled (trying to gather my strength). I was being ridiculous. Nobody was going to bite me.

I exhaled after I stepped out from my truck. I made sure my face stayed hidden by my hood so that I would blend in. I felt myself start to hyperventilate as I approached building three where my first class was. I took deep breaths and gently pushed open the door. There were two girls just inside the door hanging up their coats.

The first girl was average height with light brown, curly hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a very tight pink tank top and skinny jeans. The heels she was wearing were making her wobble as she walked. The second girl was slightly taller, with bleached blonde hair and light blue; almost grey eyes. She was wearing similar clothes to the first, only her tank top was purple. They walked unsteadily over to seats right in the front.

"So Jess," said the second girl "have you heard about the new teacher we have for English?"

"Yes I have. I heard he is an absolute god!" said, who I assumed to be, Jess.

They both started gossiping and giggling so I stopped listening. I took the slip up to the teacher, a short, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Forges. He looked up at me when he saw my name and of course, I flushed bright red. But he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. That I was entirely thankful for.

It was harder for my peers to gawk at me in the back, but they managed. I looked down at the syllabus outline the teacher had given me and found that I had already studied the majority of topics. It was going to be a boring year. I wondered if my mother would send over my file of work. Perhaps that would be considered cheating. I zoned out as the teacher droned on and on about the phases of mitosis. Finally after what seemed like days the bell rang signalling the end of class.

The next few lessons continued much in the same manner. The teacher signing my slip, my finding out I already knew most of the stuff and everyone gawking. My Mathematics teacher, Mr. Parry, who I disliked anyway because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me introduce myself to the class. I stammered, blushed, and tripped over my own boots on the way to my seat. After a while I could recognise quite a lot of faces in my classes. There were people who would come and introduce themselves and ask me if I was liking Forks. The lunch bell rang and as I was about to leave a gangly boy, with black hair leaned over to talk.

"Hi your Isabella right?"

"Just Bella,"

"Right Bella hey I'm Eric. The eyes and ears of Forks High!" he laughed.

"Where are you eating lunch?" He asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"Umm I don't know…" He seemed like the over helpful type.

"Do you want to eat lunch with us?" He pointed to a couple of others that were just leaving the class.

"Sure" I thought seen as I was going to be here a while, I may as well get to know some people. We got our jackets and headed out into the rain towards the cafeteria.

"So Forks is a lot different than London right?"

"Very," I answered. I was starting to feel homesick again. The rain was reminding me of home. "It doesn't rain a lot here does it?"

"No, about a couple of times a year," he answered, I sighed.

"Wow, I can't imagine what that must be like…"

"Sunny" I started to laugh at that. Even though he didn't see what was so funny.

He studied my face. I sighed, clouds and humour obviously didn't mix. We made our way towards a table in the middle and it was full with several of his friends, who he introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as he spoke them. They seemed impressed by his bravery in speaking to me. The girl from Biology, Jess, turned to me and prattled on about teachers and fashion. I didn't try to keep up. There seemed to be only one topic of conversation… the new teacher.

I looked apathetically around the cafeteria while trying to make it seem like I was listening to Jess. It was while I was doing this I noticed the four students sitting right in the furthest corner, away from everyone else. They were all laughing and joking together. They were the only ones out of the whole school who weren't staring at me. It was safe to study them without fear of meeting a pair of overly riveted eyes.

There were two boys. The one was huge and brawny, with curly brown hair with a slight red tinge to it and dimples. His eyes were a light green. He looked like a serious weightlifter. He was kind of intimidating. The other was less-built, but still muscled. He had shaggy blonde hair with bright blue eyes. He seemed more approachable than the other. The two girls were complete opposites of each other. The first was very tall and statuesque, with perfect curves and wavy blonde hair that reached mid-back. Her hair was a shade lighter than the boys. She too had bright blue eyes that were wide and framed with thick eyelashes. The second was short and very thin. She had small features and looked very pixie-like with her short black hair in a disarray and dark brown eyes.

I noticed that the two blondes looked similar. They could've been siblings. They both had honey blonde hair and blue eyes. I decided to ask Jess about them. She seemed to know about everything going on.

"Hey Jess? Who are they?" I nodded my head slightly in the group's direction.

"Oh them. That's Rosalie and Jasper Hale, and Emmett and Alice Cullen…They kind of keep to themselves. They're all together. Like _together_ together. Rosalie's with Emmett and Alice and Jasper are a thing." She said matter-of-factly.

"Huh, so which ones are the Cullens and the Hales?" I was curious.

"The blonde girl and boy are the Hales. They big dark haired guy Emmett and the little dark haired girl are the Cullens. You know Dr Cullen? Well they're his kids. He adopted the Hales when they were babies,"

"Wow that's really nice of him. Adopting two other kids when he got his own two as well…" I mused.

"Three"

"Huh?"

"He has three of his own. His other son Edward just moved back here from Alaska. Just graduated college and he's the new English teacher," I sat at the table with Jessica and her friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. One of my new acquaintances, called Angela said she was in my English class and so I walked with her. She seemed nice enough. Although she was quite timid. At least she wasn't vindictive like Jess' friend Lauren.

Apparently, there was no assigned seating considering there was a new teacher so I sat by Angela in the centre of the class. A boy whose name I think was Tyler sat down on my other side but didn't strike up a conversation. The shrill ring of the bell sounded and after a minute, a tall man walked in with his head down, a large attendance folder in his left hand. I couldn't see his face as he walked toward the desk. As soon as he set his things down, he turned toward the white board and grabbed the nearest marker and wrote in elegant script "Mr Cullen".

He turned toward us and most females in the class gasped and started gossiping. I had to admit, he was dazzling. His bright emerald eyes stared back at us anxiously; he had a handsome square jaw, which was slightly unshaven and a perfect straight noise. His unbelievably white teeth made his smile glow. I tried to remain cool and collected, but his gaze ran over my classmates and then settled on me. I blushed a bright red and lowered my eyes for several seconds before peeking up through my lashes, only to find his eyes still locked on my face. He then seemed to collect himself and looked away before calling the class to order. With a crooked smile, he spoke in a smooth velvet voice.

"As you can see, I'm Mr. Cullen and I'll be you new English teacher, so to help me settle in…would you like to explain a little bit about yourself?" He searched the room for volunteers, but found none.

"Okay how about I start? Well, I'm 23 years old. I play the piano and like listening to classical music mostly. I have 4 siblings. Hmm… Oh and I have a pet goldfish called Jaws. Don't ask," He looked around the room for the next person and found mostly all the girls hands up. Hoping to impress him or just get his attention. I sunk down further in my seat. He pointed to Lauren and she beamed at him.

"Are you single Mr. Cullen?"

"Yes. I am." He was looking around the room uncomfortably as she asked.

"So your single?"

"Duh, that's what he just said. Your supposed to be telling us about you! Not finding out if you'll be able to have sex with your teacher…" Tyler spat at her. I looked at him shocked. He didn't seem the type to be so forward but I guess I didn't know him that well. Lauren flushed before stammering through her answer.

"I'm Lauren. I'm 17 years old. I love shopping. I have one younger sister Lucy and a dog called fluffy," So she was definitely a 'typical' girl. Mr Cullen decided to just go around the class in order for it to be easier. A boy called Mike Newton was up next.

"Uh, Hi I'm Mike. I like playing football and going to parties. Umm oh and definitely hot girls!" everyone laughed at that "I have an older brother Tom and I don't have any pets," Most of the class had gone and it was now my turn. I found that everyone was staring intently at me. Possibly trying to learn new information on the chief's daughter. Mr Cullen was also staring at me again and I flushed tomato red.

"H-hi I'm Bella Swan. I'm new. I moved here from London. I'm an only child and I did have a cat called Delilah and a dog called Norman , but they're with my mother. I love reading…".

Mr Cullen had an intense look on his face like as if he was trying to memorize everything about me. After the rest of the introductions, there was only 15 minutes left of the lesson and we were left to socialise. Angela went to talk to this boy called Ben that I saw her eyeing. Leaving me alone. I pulled out a battered copy of Wuthering Heights. It was my favourite, I saw Mr Cullen out of my peripherals approaching. When he reached me I looked up to find his eyes focused on the book in my hands.

"Wuthering Heights?" he asked utterly entranced.

"Yes, it's my favourite I explained.

"Mine, too" He whispered softly. Our eyes met and I became completely captivated in the emerald orbs. I struggled to get my question out.

"Really?"

"Yes…" he trailed off, still gazing into my eyes.

The bell rang and I reluctantly got up to leave. "Lovely to meet you Bella. See you tomorrow," He smiled. I would never get over how handsome he looked when he smiled.

"Sure, Bye." I left the building and jumped into my truck. The engine roared to life, attracting much attention. I pulled out of the parking lot and drove home.

My first day hadn't turned out too bad after all.

**A/N - Please read and review so that i can make this story great! I'd really appreciate it. Thanks x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - I don't own Twilight. Any of the characters, plots or settings that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...I'm not her.**

Chapter 2

_Getting To Know You_

I was in my bedroom, finishing some Math homework when Charlie got in from work. I had already put the Lasagne in the oven to cook. I thought we could have a meal together, catch up.

"Bells?" he called from downstairs.

"Yeah?" I asked "I'll be down know, I'm finishing some Calculus"

"Okay, I was just checking you were here that's all" he explained. I could hear him moving around and then the familiar sounds of the nature channel. I quickly walked down the stairs, almost tripping. Luckily I caught the food in time.

"Dinner's ready Ch-Dad!" I called from the kitchen. He let out a grunt as he got up from the sofa. He sat in the chair nearest the window and looked at me with an eager expression. I had to laugh.

"Yes, I know, you're hungry!…here you go" I smiled.

Charlie and I had gotten into a routine quite quickly. I had only been here a couple of days, but we already knew what time dinner would be and where we would eat it. Usually, when there was a game on, Charlie ate his in front of the TV, but tonight he ate at the table.

"So, how's school going, Kiddo?" That was his new nickname for me. I wasn't too fond of it. I liked to think I was quite grown-up.

"School's good. I made a couple of friends, and the subjects are easy…I've done most of it before. Math is hard though" I gave a quick summary. I didn't want to go into too much detail in case Mr Cullen came up. Just the thought of him made me blush.

"What friends? Do I know them?" That was a stupid question. How can you not know someone in this tiny town. Especially if you're the Chief of Police.

"Jessica Stanley, Angela Webber, Ben Cheney, Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie" I said.

Angela was a lot like me…slightly nerdy and a lover of books. Although, she was more confident when it came to socialising. Ben is now her boyfriend. They've been dating for two days, but you can tell they like each other. Jessica and I have gotten closer, although we haven't really got much in common. She likes to talk about herself and I just Listen. I think I could write her life story by now.

Mike is like a puppy dog. He's started to follow me everywhere. I don't know why, I'm not that interesting. It makes me feel bad because I don't like him and Jessica does. I think I'll try to find a way to get them together. Then perhaps they'll both give me some peace.

Later in the night, I e-mailed my mother. I told her all about the weather (which had improved thankfully) and about the school etc. She was pestering me about boys. I told her that no boys were interesting me…emphasis on boys.

I went to bed early and was able to sleep much better now that the rain had stopped. Charlie said we've had all the rain for the year in one go…as I said, just my luck! Though I had a good sleep, I still felt like throttling someone when my alarm went off the next morning. I hit it repeatedly until it shut up and made myself get out of bed. The sunshine was leaking through the curtains. I picked out some denim shorts, sandals and a blue vest to wear to school. Nice and cool.

I picked up my bag and headed out, eating a Pop-tart on the way. I got to school slightly early so I sat on one of the benches outside to soak up the Vitamin D. It was a nice change from London. Only a few minutes later, the silver Volvo that I noticed on the first day pulled into the lot. I looked closely and saw that Mr Cullen was the driver and his four siblings were crammed in. They all got out and headed into the building. My eyes were glued to Mr Cullen. He looked back to see me watching him and gave me a crooked grin. It was fast becoming my favourite thing. I waved slightly at him and turned away.

Everyone arrived shortly after and I found myself surrounded by the big group that were now my friends. Although Lauren was still glaring at me. I think it was because Tyler liked me. But, it wasn't my fault…I certainly wasn't encouraging him. I watched as Jess and Mike interacted with each other. They would make a good couple. Just as long as I can convince them to get together.

The day passed by too slowly. I was watching the clock in each lesson. Counting down the minutes until English class. The time finally arrived and Angela practically had to run to keep up with me.

"Wow, what's the rush Bella? Slow Down!" she laughed when she caught up.

"Sorry" I said, My tell-tale blush appearing on my face.

"It's fine. I was joking. I know why your rushing. I mean…it's English"

"What do you mean?" I asked hurriedly, Hoping that my feelings for Mr Cullen hadn't been too obvious.

"You love English and books, so it's normal for you to look forward to it" she explained looking at me strangely due to my weird behaviour.

"Oh right…yeah" I said laughing nervously. Thankfully she let it go when we entered the classroom.

Mr Cullen entered ten minutes later. He looked gorgeous, as always. My favourite crooked grin on his face, his hair perfectly dishevelled and he was dressed smartly in his signature black tie/white shirt combo. He quickly introduced us to the task of the day. We had to write a summary of Romeo and Juliet, including the main plot themes. It was simple. I was done within fifteen minutes. I looked up to find Mr Cullen looking over at me. He gave me a quick wink before he walked over to Mike who needed help. No surprise.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Classes were easy and therefore, boring. My crush on Mr Cullen was only increasing as the days went by and I was beginning to believe he felt the same. Although I would never initiate anything that would put him in an awkward position.

Next week we were going to start reading and analysing Romeo and Juliet in class and studying the theme of forbidden love. It was very relevant to what I was feeling for my teacher. I wonder if that's why he picked it?

I shut of my bedside lamp and got into bed, ready for the new school week to start. I'd be seeing Mr Cullen in approximately 15 hours. I couldn't wait!

**A/N - Please Review. I want to know everyone's opinion!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - I don't own Twilight. Any Characters, plots or settings that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...I'm not her!**

Chapter 3

_Increasing Bond_

I woke up feeling excited to go to school. I was going to see Mr Cullen. I was reacting to him in surprising ways which caused a smile to appear whenever I thought of him and my heart to skip a beat every time he was near. It was a yearning that I'd never felt before. I knew it was wrong, and yet, I couldn't wait to see him again.

I arrived at school twenty minute's early and nervously walked into the classroom. The lights were on, but the door was slightly ajar so I quietly stepped inside and shut it behind me. Mr. Cullen was sitting on the edge of his desk intently reading Romeo and Juliet, the book we were going to study in class. I slipped into my seat and fiddled with my hands to keep me occupied. I was feeling awkward but was afraid to disturb him. I just stared at him surreptitiously instead.

As if he sensed my presence in the room. He turned in my direction with a boyish excitement shining in his eyes. He smiled warmly at me.

"Good Morning Bella"

"Morning Mr Cullen" I smiled back, an irrational blush warming my cheeks. It seemed like that was going to be a permanent state while I was around him.

"You're a little early aren't you?" He laughed softly and I looked up at him meekly. There was no way I could hide my blush, but that just seemed to amuse him more.

"I'm sorry, would you like for me to wait outside?" I whispered, biting my lip. My lips must have really caught his attention because he wouldn't look away. When he didn't respond to my question, I took it as a dismissal and began to gather my things. This action seemed to pull him out of his reverie.

"What? Of course not. You're welcome here anytime," He scratched his unshaven jaw and smiled at me once more.

"Okay. Thank you." I said timidly. I was pleased he didn't want me to leave. I just wanted to be near him all the time. I knew that was both irrational and impossible but I didn't care. We stared at each other for several minutes in silence and it surprised me that he looked just as nervous as I was.

"So…" I looked at him closely. He was wearing a long sleeve, white button down shirt that really emphasised his muscles. It looked both professional and stylish at the same time, paired with black slacks and a thin, black tie. He walked over to the desk next to me and angled his body towards me slightly.

"Let's play a game to get to know each other better?" he suggested.

"What?" I asked, I had been distracted by my ogling.

"A game….I want to know everything about you," he smiled encouragingly.

My heart thrashed violently against my chest and I had to take a deep breath to compose myself.

"Okay, can you elaborate?" I asked politely.

He tilted his head "Hmm.." he pondered for a moment " what's your favourite food?" really food? That's what he wanted to know?

"Food really? Umm I love Italian," I giggled. I never giggle.

He grinned flashing his sparkling teeth "Me too. There's this great place in Port Angeles that does the best mushroom ravioli…"

"Right Bella Italia!" I remember Charlie talking about it once when I was younger. I was surprised I remembered after all that time.

"You know it?"

"Yes, my father took me there a couple of times when I was younger and came to visit," I smiled "My turn…Favourite movie?"

He pointed his fingers from his mouth like fangs "Underworld, definitely,"

"You like vampires?" I asked stunned.

"Of course! So what's yours? and it better be good"

I unconsciously leaned forward "Oh it is….Shaun Of The Dead!" I laughed

"Oh no!" he was shaking his head in mock horror.

"Yes it's great. You've got your zombies, your humour and your British actors. What more do you want?" we both started laughing then.

I didn't realise how long I had been here already, but just as he was about to ask me another question, the bell rang. He leaned forward more and winked at me before returning to his desk ready for class. I was starting to feel dizzy and realised it was because I had stopped breathing. The rest of the students filed in and the class started.

The more I talked to Edward, the more I liked him. I was attracted to him, definitely. But from the minute I saw him, there was this feeling that I don't know how to explain. The way he walked and moved, his voice, his views, his sense of humour and facial expressions. I felt utterly captivated. I just had to remember that he was my teacher and could be nothing more. But, when he looked at me I couldn't help but think that he felt the same.

The next morning I cheerfully walked into the classroom and plopped into my seat, ready for another round of questions off Mr Cullen. He sat on the desk next to me, much like yesterday.

"Good morning Mr Cullen,"

"Morning Bella. Ready to continue the game?"

"Absolutely" I grinned.

"So what's your favourite type of music?" This one was easy to answer. I absolutely hated most types of music. There was only really about three types I could stand to listen to.

"Classical,"

"Who's your favourite composer?"

"Debussy" I answered automatically. My mother used to play it constantly around the house when I was younger and I guess it kind of stuck.

"Yeah, I love Claire De Lune, It's my favourite" I couldn't help but feel ecstatic that he liked it too and didn't just scoff like the rest.

"What's your favourite sport?" I knew I wasn't sporty but I do like to watch it on the TV.

"Baseball. You?" He asked

"Umm, well to be honest, I don't play any. I'd probably kill myself If I tried. I do like watching The Olympics though," It's one of the only things me and my dad have in common.

"What's your favourite subject?" he asked. I could feel my tell-tale blush heating my cheeks as I looked down on the desk at my hands.

"English," I muttered.

"Why?" he asked. I felt myself turn even redder.

"I like to read… I just love literature in general…" I stuttered. I think we both knew the real reason why. If he did know, he didn't say anything. The door swung open and in sauntered Jessica.

"Hello Mr Cullen" Jessica purred in what was supposed to be a sexy voice but sounded more like a strangled cat. I struggled to hold in my laughter and I could see the amusement in Mr Cullens eyes.

"Hello Jessica. Please take a seat," he quickly went back to sit behind his desk and busied himself with writing today's lesson on the board. Jessica trudged dejectedly over to her desk and sat down with a huff. My eyes wandered over the back of Mr Cullen's body. I cooled myself hoping that the students who just entered the class hadn't noticed my eyes linger on certain areas.

I felt a slight tap on my shoulder and turned to see Mike standing behind me looking uneasy. He was shuffling back and forth on his feet.

"What is it Mike?" I asked, being friendly.

"Well there's this dance coming up and I just wondered if you would go with me?" He looked at me expectantly.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Mr Cullen stiffen. I struggled to let down Mike easy. I knew nothing would happen with Mr Cullen but I wanted it to be a possibility. Plus, I just didn't see Mike that way. It was the perfect opportunity to get him to go out with Jess.

"Dancing? Not such a good idea for me. I have something that weekend anyway. I'm going to Seattle. I'm sorry, you should ask Jess though! I know she wants to go with you…."

"Oh Okay sure" He gave me a half-hearted smile and returned to his seat. I did feel a little guilty afterwards, but I didn't want to encourage him by going. I had planned to go to Seattle soon anyway. I desperately needed a good book store. I guess it turned out that that weekend was perfect.

I turned back to Mr Cullen. He was pressing so hard with the pen that I thought it'd go right through. When the bell finally rang to start the class, Mr Cullen turned and sighed.

"Okay everyone. Read pages 96 to 103 and answer the three questions on the board. When you're finished hand in your answers. If anyone needs help I want you to raise your hand no talking." He slid into his seat and began to mark work. I quickly read the passage and answered the questions. It was unbelievingly easy. I was the first to finish. I rose out of my seat and went to hand it in. Getting a sexy smirk from Mr Cullen in the process. Just like the last time, I took out Wuthering heights and read until class was dismissed.

I was sitting at our table in lunch again when Jess walked over looking excited. She sat down next to me.

"Bella, you'll never guess who asked me to the dance?" She was giggling at the end.

"Who?" I asked. I already had an idea who it was, well who it should be anyways.

"Mike. I totally thought he was going to ask you but, can you believe it? I'm going to a dance with Mike Newton!" She squealed.

"Oh I know it's unbelievable," I agreed.

My next lesson was biology with Mr Forges. Unluckily, he had partnered us up and I was with Tyler. I don't know what it was about him but he just made me feel extremely uncomfortable. We had to do a lab today on the phases of mitosis in onion root tip cells. We were half way through when he decided to chat. I had done all the work so far while he had been texting people off of his phone.

"So you know there's this dance soon…" he trailed off. He was going to ask me I was positive. Oh well, at least I had an excuse. I wondered how many more times I was going to be asked before they all got the hint.

"Yes I do."

"So. do you want to go with me?" He was looking at me like I was a piece of meat. I really despised that.

"No. I'm busy that day" I said rudely. I didn't have the patience to be nice to him.

"Oh yes, Seattle right?"

"If you knew I was busy, why did you still ask me?"

"Well I figured it was an excuse because you didn't like mike" he shrugged.

"Well, I really am going so…" I left it there and completed the lab. We were the first pair to finish. The prize was a golden onion which I gave to Tyler to keep. I didn't want it stinking out my bag.

At the end of class, I had a message to visit Mr Cullen in his room after school, I must admit I was nervous. As soon as the last bell rang, I walked gingerly to his room. I lightly tapped on the door and waited for him to answer.

"Come in," he called in his velvet voice. It was very alluring. I pushed the door open and approached his desk. Nervously chewing on my lip.

"You sent for me?" He looked up at me and gave me his crooked smile that left me breathless. It definitely helped me with my nerves.

"Yes, Bella the school is thinking about starting a newsletter. It'll be one each month just to keep everyone up to date. I would like you to help write it…" well it would certainly be something to do while Charlie's still in work.

"Sure." I beamed at him just before I left for the car lot.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - I don't own Twilight, any of the characters, plot or locations that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...That's not me.**

Chapter 3

_Evolving Feelings_

I couldn't be happier that Mr Cullen had asked me to help with the newsletter. I would get to see him a lot more. I couldn't help but hope that Mr Cullen felt the same way about me that I did for him, but it was only wishful thinking. Why would a God like him like plain me?

I strolled across the lot towards my truck. I slung my bag into the seat and climbed into it. I used all my strength to pull the door shut as it was getting stuck recently. I turned my key in the ignition. The truck let out an awful sound before completely dying on me.

"Great," I muttered. I got back out of the truck and pulled out my bag, ready to trek back to the house. It wasn't far. I was halfway across the parking lot before I heard Mr Cullen calling me. I looked up to see him walking towards me from the building.

"Car troubles?" he asked with that crooked smile on his face that always succeeded in making me incoherent.

"Huh-Oh yes. It's completely dead," I sighed. I just hoped it could be fixed, I really loved it already.

"Well I'm not surprised! What is It, 100 years old?" He joked.

"50 actually," I snapped I wouldn't put up with anyone insulting the truck, including Mr Cullen. Mr Cullen just chuckled.

"Well however old it is, it's a monstrosity," He said, looking over towards it. I turned around to look at it as well.

"Maybe," I agreed with a small smile "but it's MY monstrosity" I laughed and he joined in. I was completely captivated by the musical sounds. He caught me ogling him and I put my head down, my cheeks heated with the ever present blush I had around him.

"So, do you need a ride?" I was completely surprised by this question. I thought that teachers weren't meant to be alone with students.

"No, I'm just going to walk back, it's not too far," I didn't want to get him into trouble. Although the thought of being alone with him in such a small space was thrilling.

"Don't be so silly Bella! I have to pass your house anyway on my way home, just get in," He said in a stern voice while pointing to the passenger side of his Volvo. I sighed when Mr Cullen opened the door for me. I gave him a nervous smile in thanks and entered the car.

The car was very neat, many CD's organised in the different compartments. When he climbed in I couldn't help but take a deep breath. His scent was heavenly; Very sweet smelling, I couldn't get enough of it. We sat in silence for most of the ride, listening to the notes of Debussy. It wasn't awkward like I thought it would be, it was surprisingly comfortable. He pulled up into my drive and I was reluctant to get out. I glanced over to him to see him looking at me and blushed.

"Thanks, Mr Cullen, I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Anytime Bella, See you tomorrow"

I exited the car and walked up the drive, seeing the note that was on the door frequently the last couple of days. It always said the same thing.

Bells,

Sorry but I've had to go away for a week on a case. Call me if you need anything and I'll try to get back. Money's in the jar on the kitchen table.

See you soon,

Love Dad.

I sighed. I'd hardly seen him since I'd moved here. I'd been living in Forks for a couple of weeks now and I'd seen him only for a few days. I suppose it could be worse, at least he wasn't strict. I went straight to my bedroom to answer the dozen e-mails I probably had from my mother. I hadn't felt like replying since the first time. I booted up the ancient computer and changed into pyjamas before reading the e-mails. There were five altogether, getting more panicky each time.

Bella,

How is Forks? Still raining? You can still come home if you want to you know, It's not too late… e-mail back soon honey

Love, Mom xx

I read the last one.

Isabella Marie Swan!

You'd better answer me! I'm worried sick. If you don't reply before five o'clock today I am phoning Charlie to see what's wrong!

Love Mom xx

PS Any boys caught your eye yet? ;)

I loved my mother, I really did, but she could overreact and be annoying at points. I quickly replied and shut down the computer. By the time I had finished replying to my mother and eating dinner, it was getting late. I decided to have an early night so that I could get up earlier for school. I was excited to see Mr Cullen again. It was the first night I had dreamed of Mr Cullen.

_Me and Mr Cullen were sitting in a living room that I had never seen before. It was very light and open. I was sitting on the leather couch while he was walking towards me. A classical tune was playing in the background but I couldn't identify it. I was getting lost in his stunning emerald eyes. I stopped breathing, when he stopped inches away from me._

"_Dance with me?" He asked, bringing me out of my reverie._

"_Okay" I breathed nervously. _

_I wasn't the most graceful person in the world and I didn't want to step on his toes and ruin the moment. We started to dance slowly around the room. I was pressed into him as close as I could get and my head was tucked under his chin. I was content. I lifted my head slightly to look at him. His eyes captured mine and I couldn't look away. We were inches away from each other, our lips getting closer and closer. I could feel his cool breath on my face and inhaled deeply. Our lips were almost about to touch when there was a loud buzzing sound. _

It got louder until I opened my eyes and saw that I was back in my bedroom in Forks lying in pools of sweat. I sighed, realizing that my feeling for a certain teacher had got stronger than I had originally thought. I stumbled out of bed, still half asleep and quickly had a shower and got dressed. It was 7:45, only an hour before school started. When I locked up and looked for my truck, I remembered that it was still in the lot where it had broken down. I wouldn't be able to get to school early enough to see Mr Cullen if I walked, but there was no other way to get there.

I was startled when I saw a familiar silver Volvo parked across the street. Mr Cullen was leaning against it looking like Adonis with his signature smile. He waved me over towards him and I practically skipped over. Of course, gravity got to me and I started to fall to the ground. I closed my eyes waiting for impact, but instead felt two strong arms wrapping around me to hold me up.

"Thanks," I mumbled blushing.

He didn't let go, instead he gripped me tighter. I could feel sparks, like little electric shocks whenever he touched me. We were inches away from each other and I couldn't stop the feelings from building up inside of me when I looked into his eyes. There was just this amazing connection between us. I jumped back before I could do anything I could regret later. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before he broke it.

"I thought you might need a lift, seen as your truck's at school?" He asked unsure if he was right or not.

"Yes thank you, I really appreciate it," I replied honestly.

"It's no problem honestly, get in before we're late," he chuckled while holding the door open for me once again. I climbed in and we sped off towards school. Mr Cullen liked to drive fast. I was gripping my seat for dear life when he glanced over to me and burst out laughing.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" I screamed. This just made him laugh even more.

"Calm down Bella, I've been driving for 7 years now and haven't ever had an accident,"

"Yes well, there's no need to push your luck, anyway, I'm the police chief's daughter. I was brought up to obey the law,"

"Fine," he huffed. He slowed to 80 mph. "This slow enough for you?"

"No," He slowed again. I was still not happy but it would do.

"I hate driving slow," he wined, mostly to himself.

"You call this slow?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. Very slow" he grinned.

I laughed, shaking my head and looked out the window at the green blur of the scenery. We pulled into the parking lot. It was totally empty apart from my beloved truck sat right at the end of student parking. He jogged around to my side of the car to open the door before I could even blink. He reached down for my hand to help me out of the car and the spark that I still hadn't become accustomed to shot up my arm. I smiled a small smile at him which he returned. I felt my heart swell with joy when he didn't let go of my hand. We walked into his building, hand-in-hand, me with a giant grin on my face. I couldn't have been happier. We entered the classroom and just like the day before I sat at my desk while he sat on the desk, angled towards me.

"So, staying with tradition…what's your favourite colour?" he asked

"Green," I blurted out before I could stop myself. I found my verbal filter slowly disappearing when I was around Mr Cullen. "And yours?"

"Hmmm… Brown," he answered staring intently at my eyes. I of course blushed tomato red.

"What's your favourite type of weather?" I asked

"I love the sun, although I prefer Springtime. I don't know why…"

"Spring is mine too, although I like the sun, that's what I like so much about Forks" he smiled.

"Why did you move here?" he asked. It was a obvious question to ask I guess.

"it's a long, complicated story,"

"I think I can keep up," he pushed.

"Well my mother got remarried to this man called Phil Dwyer" I paused

"You don't like him?…or-" I interrupted him

"Phil's fine, maybe a little young for her, but he makes her happy. No it's just he plays minor league baseball and has to travel a lot. My mother was held back from going because I had to go to school. I could see she was unhappy, so I moved in with my father,"

"Ah," he said knowingly, " that wasn't so complex,"

"No, I guess not," I agreed.

There was complete silence in the room for a minute before I broke the silence. "What's your favourite genre?"

"Well, I guess if I think about it I prefer the classics. You can't beat Austen or the Bronte's" I was amazed. Not only did he agree with Debussy being good. He also loved the classics. He was quickly turning into my perfect man.

"What's your favourite flower?"

"I like orchids. They're just so beautiful, you know?"

"Yes, I know. They are very beautiful…" he agreed staring right at me thoughtfully.

The shrill sound of the bell sounded and made us jump apart. I hadn't realised how close we had gotten during our game of 20 questions. He rose and walked towards the board where he wrote today's lesson on the board. It was a surprise test on "Romeo and Juliet". I didn't think I'd do very well. I couldn't pay attention to what he was saying most of the time, just ogled him instead. I finished the test in fifteen minutes and took it up the front, earning a surprised gaze from Mr Cullen and scowls from some of the girls.

The day dragged on, I was in biology when a note got passed to me from Jessica. I hid it from Mr Forges under the desk and sneaked a look.

Bella,

Will you come to Port Angeles with me and Angela today? We need to get dresses for the dance and need your opinion. Please? Jess xxx

Fine but I need to go home to get money first. I haven't got a ride home so can you take me in your car? B xx

Yes okay that's fine Bella. What time do you need to be home? Jess xxx

Doesn't matter. Charlie's not there… I'll meet you by car, Jess. B xx

I didn't get the note back. Jess and I had become good friends. She was very chatty and girly, but you know what they say…opposites attract. Mr Forges let us out early for lunch. I headed straight for Mr Cullen's room. I was supposed to be helping him with the newsletter today. I gently tapped on his door.

"Come in Bella!" he called from inside. I gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.

**A/N - Please Review. I live for constructive critisism :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - I don't own Twilight, any of the characters, plot or locations that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...That's not me.**

Chapter 4

_Close Calls And Working Together_

I stepped into the room and couldn't help but gasp when I saw the scene in front of me. Mr Cullen had pushed a couple of desks together and put a table cloth over the top to make it look like a table. On it were two plates filled with what looked like mushroom ravioli. The aroma in the room was making my mouth water.

"What's this?" I asked still amazed

"This is dinner from La Bella Italia,"

I sat down at the table, gave Mr Cullen a grateful smile before I dug into the ravioli. It was more delicious than I expected. I looked up with my mouth full to see Mr Cullen looking at me oddly. I swallowed the food and blushed self-consciously.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just-" he cut himself off, searching for the right thing to say I guess." I've never actually seen a girl who wasn't a family member eat something other than salad in front of me. It's nice that you actually eat," I laughed heartily.

"Well I'm glad because I'm not starving myself for anyone, especially when the food is from Bella Italia!" He laughed with me and started to eat his food.

We sat in comfortable silence only breaking it to ask some of our questions. It had become tradition to play 20 questions with him. I had already found out that his favourite animal was a cat. I agreed. Cats just lay there and all you have to do is feed them and let them go outside a couple times a day. You didn't have to walk them or bathe them really.

"What's your favourite instrument?" he asked

"Piano, definitely," He beamed at me.

"Mine too, I'll have to play the piano for you some time…"

"You play piano?"

"Yes and a little guitar too. If you asked my family they'd also say I can sing, but I don't agree,"

"Perhaps you'd let me decide if you can soon?" I asked hopefully. If his singing voice was anything like when he was talking it would be outstanding.

"Perhaps…".

"So shall we clear this so we can start the newsletter?" I asked

"Yes sure. Just put it all in the bin." he helped me throw everything in the trash before he sat down in his seat again with a notepad and a pen.

I got out a pad and pen for myself before sitting down closer to him than I had before.

"We need ideas about what we should write about as the main story this month. We already have all the minor stories," he passed me his notepad so I could see the list of minor stories.

Minor stories :

1. Eric Yorkie wins a chess tournament against Seattle's Champion, Ronald Platt

2. The Maths team drew in the Decathlon this week against Port Angeles.

3. Yearbook photos are being taken next month

4. Fundraiser on 21st of this month.

They were all good stories. I decided we should write about the School Dance coming up. Everyone would be interested in that and would get them reading the newsletter. I voiced my opinion on what our main story should be to Mr Cullen. He agreed it was a good idea and said that he would write the rough draft and I could edit it. The bell went alerting me that I had five minutes to get to my next class. I put my notebook back into my bag. I looked towards Mr Cullen and smiled.

"Bye, Mr Cullen. I'll see you tomorrow," I turned to leave but he called my name.

"Won't you need me to take you home?"

"No, thanks. I'm going to Port Angeles with Jess and Angela today, they'll take me home, thanks anyway though," I noticed he looked a little disappointed after I had said this.

"Oh, Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow? Do you still need picking up?"

"Yes please, I'll see you tomorrow," I smiled. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. I felt the spark intensify and was still dazed when he spoke.

"Be safe," he whispered into my ear and pulled away with a crooked smile.

I stumbled my way to my next class. I couldn't think of anything but him kissing my cheek for the rest of the day. I knew that it was meant to be wrong to feel this way about a teacher but I just couldn't help it.

The rest of the day flew by. I waited by jess' beat up red Honda. Her and Angela walked across and we were all soon on our way to Port Angeles. We walked into the only dress shop in the town and I took a seat at the window while the girls went to find their perfect dresses. Jess came out of the dressing room in a deep purple dress. It wasn't very long, only reaching the knee. It had a scoop neck with one shoulder. It was nice.

"What do you think of this dress Bella?"

"I think it's nice, although I'm sure there's something else there nicer though,"

"Yes your right, I think it's a little too short for the dance anyway," she disappeared into the dressing room again.

They both tried on a couple of dresses each. After about an hour and a half, they both found the dresses they wanted. Jess' dress was a hot pink colour that reached her ankles, it had a long V neck, emphasising her chest. It did look great. Angela went for a more modest dress, it was a flowing lilac coloured dress that swept the floor. It had a high neck but had pieces cut out in triangle patterns. It looked really nice on her. They decided to look around for accessories, I really wanted to go to the book shop.

"Hey girls, I'm going to go check out the bookstore while you shop for accessories okay?"

"Are you sure, we can come with you?" Angela offered while Jess was looking at a pair of silver stilettos.

"Yes, I'll meet you at the restaurant," I quickly exited the shop and pulled out the address that I had written on a post-it note.

253, west avenue.

That wasn't that far from here from what I remember of the map. I picked up speed knowing I'd be late meeting the girls if I didn't hurry. I finally reached the bookstore. It looked very weird with beads at the windows and dream catchers outside. I decided that there wasn't anything there for me and set back to the town. I was starting to panic when I couldn't remember how to get back. It was getting dark as well. I finally found the street back to the town. You could see the bright lights of the signs at the end. I started to pick up my pace again, knowing I was at least 30 minutes late already. I was just passing a club when a group of drunken men started harassing me.

"Hey girl! Where you going?" one man slurred. I walked even faster past, hoping they'd leave me alone.

"Hey! Talk to me! You're really cute," another man shouted. When I ignored them, all of them went back inside apart from one man who started following me.

"Hey! Wait up… I just want to talk to you," he slurred again.

He pushed me against the wall opposite and I started to scream. We were on the outskirts of the town and someone must've heard me. He put his hand over my mouth to stop the screaming. Just as I was about to fight him back, a car sped straight towards us. Mr Cullen jumped out of the car and pulled the drunken man off me.

"Get in the car," he growled.

I didn't hesitate to do as he said. I saw him punch the man and got back into the car. I was too shaken to care about how fast we were going as he drove us back into the town. I looked over to see him gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. His jaw was clenched and the look in his eyes was terrifying.

"Are you okay?" I asked. My voice came out shaky.

"I should be asking you that question," he growled. I flinched at the anger in his voice. "sorry" he mumbled.

"It's okay, I understand,"

"It's just the thought of what would've happened to you if I didn't get there in time-" he shuddered. He looked over to me.

"You did get there In time. I have to thank you for that," I hadn't noticed that we had stopped right outside La Bella Italia where I was supposed to meet Jess and Angela.

"How did you know?" I whispered.

"I saw Jessica's car parked a little further up and guessed," he seemed to have calmed down. He smiled crookedly at me before getting out and opening my door.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you for dinner,"

"What about Jess and Angela. What are we going to tell them?"

"We'll tell them that I saw you walking on your own and I gave you a lift and now I'm taking you to dinner to make sure you're okay…" I sighed knowing he'd end up getting what he wanted anyway and quickly ran over to stop Jess and Angela when I saw them leave the restaurant.

"Jess! Ange! Wait!" They both turned around and looked relieved when they saw it was me.

"Where have you been?" Jess asked

"Sorry, I got lost on my way back," I blushed, embarrassed.

"We've already eaten now, we were starving…sorry" Angela said.

"That's okay girls. I'm going to take Miss Swan to dinner anyway," Mr Cullen suddenly said in his silky voice.

Both girls got dazed expressions on their faces when they saw him. I had to wave my hand in front of Jess' face to stop her before she started drooling. Jess gave me a glare that obviously said "you'll explain later" and stalked off waving over her shoulder and shouting back a 'bye'. Angela gave me an apologetic look for Jess' behaviour before following her into the car, leaving me and Mr Cullen alone. He turned to me before heading towards the entrance to the restaurant. I deeply inhaled the fresh air to calm my nerves before following him.

**A/N - Please,Please, PLEASE review? I want to get at least a hundred :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - I don't own Twilight, any of the characters, plot or locations that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...That's not me.**

Chapter 6

_Non-Dates And An A* _

We entered the restaurant and the delicious smells of Italian food circled the air making my stomach growl loudly. I blushed and put my head down but Mr Cullen just chuckled a little and squeezed my hand before linking our fingers and pulling me towards the hostess, who was ogling him. I clutched his hand tighter as we approached. The hostess was a typical Bimbo. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, stick-thin, fake tan and thick make-up. She smiled suggestively at Mr Cullen.

"What can I get you?" she asked him.

"A table for two please." He said shortly.

"Right this way," she said leading us to the most crowded part of the place to a table for four. Mr Cullen quickly turned around and placed something in her hand.

"Are you sure there aren't any more secluded tables?" He asked politely.

She scowled at me and led us to a booth at the back of the restaurant. We sat down and the hostess walked off with a huff after receiving no attention from Mr Cullen. He smiled crookedly at me. The waiter came to our table. Thankfully it was a man so he didn't ogle Mr Cullen.

"What would you like?" he asked us.

"Bella?" Mr Cullen asked.

"Mushroom Ravioli?" He smiled

"Two mushroom raviolis and two sodas please," he asked the waiter.

"Sure. It won't be long." The waiter walked away leaving us alone again.

We just stared at each other for the longest time. Both getting lost in each other's eyes.

"How did you know how to find me?" I asked suddenly. I seemed to have pulled him out of a reverie.

"Umm, I uhh…"he stuttered.

"It's okay. I won't be mad, I trust you," It seemed to reassure him.

"I followed you," he paused searching for my reaction, but I made sure I had a blank expression. "When you told me you were coming to Port Angeles, I wanted to make sure you were safe…when you left the girls, I followed, but then I lost you after you left the bookstore. I drove around all the streets until I found you," he looked as if he was waiting to be scolded. I just smiled at him. It was quite flattering really that he would care about me so much.

"Thank You" I whispered, reaching over for his hand.

He flipped his over so that we could intertwine our fingers. I gazed at our joint hands, wishing we could be together, but I had to be realistic. He was my teacher, and possibly a friend, but nothing more. No matter how much I wanted it, he didn't like me like that.

"Your not freaked out?" he asked

"No, quite flattered actually," I told him honestly.

"You are the weirdest, most extraordinary girl I've ever met,"

"Thanks" I replied sarcastically.

"No, it's a good thing" he said stroking the back of my hand "a very good thing," I tightened my grip on his hand.

We soon left the restaurant ready to go home. Mr Cullen kept asking me if I was okay. He was certain that I would go into shock soon because of my encounter with the drunken man.

"Are you sure your okay?" he asked for the hundredth time.

"I'm positive! Can you stop asking now?" I asked annoyed.

"I'm just worried about you," he muttered.

"Well, I'm fine so there's no need to worry," I smiled.

He held my hand all the way home. It was like as if, if he let go, I'd disappear. We listened to Van Morrison and he even sang a part of Brown Eyed Girl to me. He was a fantastic singer. The way he sang the song to me made me feel like he could love me. It gave me hope and confidence to tell him how I felt. We pulled up to my drive and the house was in darkness. Charlie didn't get back for another few days. Mr Cullen looked worriedly over to me.

"Bella, where's your father?"

"He's left for the week for a case. Said he'll be home in a few days,"

"Your on your own?" He asked. I could detect the anger in his voice.

"It's only for a couple of days, I'll be fine" I tried to reassure him.

"It's not okay Bella! Your all alone in this house. I'm not letting you stay here on your own!" His voice was getting louder and he was gripping the steering wheel tightly again.

"Where else could I go?"

"Can't you stay with any of your friends?" He asked.

"No," I sighed. I liked Jess, but with the way she was acting earlier, I didn't feel like staying with her. I didn't know anyone else well enough.

"Well you can't stay here on your own," He stated calmly. He gave me a stern look as I opened my mouth to argue.

"You can stay with me," I suggested. He looked shocked and stammered for a while before he finally spoke a full sentence.

"I can't stay here, I'm your teacher" He was trying to convince himself more than me. I decided to play on his uncertainty.

"Your also my friend. You'd only be staying to make sure I'm okay…" It seemed to work because he was walking me up to the door after a minute. I quickly took the key from under the eave and opened the door. I set my bag down on the table and offered Mr Cullen a drink.

"Yes please, coffee, two sugars," He pulled out one of the chair and sat down, observing me in the kitchen.

He looked like he was deep in thought. I set the coffee down in front of him and sat in the next chair. We talked for a while about Charlie and what he was like. He asked about my mother.

"What's your family like?" I wanted to know all about him, like he did me.

"Well, my biological parents were called Edward and Elizabeth Masen. They died when I was ten, it was a car accident. A drunk driver ran a red light and crashed head on into them-" he paused.

You could see the pain in his eyes. I gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Esme is my auntie, but her and her husband Carlisle adopted me. They have been my mother and father ever since. They have two children themselves. Emmett and Alice, you might have seen them in school?" I nodded. "Rosalie and Jasper are our adopted siblings. They're mother died giving birth and no-one could find their father. Esme fell in love with them one day when she visited Carlisle at the hospital and demanded that they adopt them. Five years after that, they adopted me."

I felt sympathy for him. Losing his parents at that young age, but at least he had two very caring people to look after him. His eyes were glazed over. He was reliving something in the past.

"I was named after him you know?…my father," he whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes," He got that faraway look in his eyes again.

"What's wrong?" He shook his head, ridding him of his thoughts.

"Nothing," he murmured. I stroked the back of his hand with my fingers.

"Mr Cullen-" he flinched at the name.

"Edward," he whispered.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You can call me Edward, only when we're alone though,"

"Edward, would you like to watch a movie?" I smiled at the name. It was a sign that we were getting closer.

"Sure," I got up and led him towards the small sofa in the living room. Edward sat down on the sofa while I tried to pick a film.

"What do you want to watch?"

"Hmmm how about 'Shaun Of The Dead'," he smirked.

"Really? I though you hated that film?"

"Well, I thought that you could try to enlighten me?" he laughed.

I put on the film and went to sit on the sofa with Edward. It was awkward. Even though we'd held hands before, I wasn't sure how close I should sit to him. He solved my worries when he grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. I giggled when he accidentally tickled me. He got a devilish look in his eyes.

"Ticklish?"

"No," I tried to move away but he still had a hold of my waist. He tickled me until I couldn't breathe, he just chuckled at me. We settled down to watch the film. Edward actually laughed at some points and I got him to admit in the end that he enjoyed it.

"See, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to movies," I suddenly yawned and felt the heat rise in my cheeks. Edward reached out to stroke my cheek, making me turn eve redder.

"Your tired, go to bed,"

"No I'm-" I got cut off by another yawn. "Okay, I will," I laughed and stretched before getting up. Edward got up as well, put on his coat and reached for the door.

"I'll lock up for you now Bella, Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow." I walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight," I muttered before trudging tiredly up the stairs. I fell onto my bed and fell asleep straight away.

The sun peeked through the fabric of the curtains and hit me right in the eyes, bringing me abruptly from my sleep. I rolled over and checked the clock to see that it was almost 7, I would have to rush to get ready. I pulled on some dark blue skinny jeans, a t-shirt that said 'boys are always better in books' and an old pair of converse before running down the stairs. I had just reached the bottom when I heard Edward beep from outside. I grabbed my bag and coat and carefully walked across the yard towards the car.

"Morning," I beamed.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" he asked after starting the car.

"Very well, thanks, you?" I asked observing the shadows underneath his eyes.

"Not so good," we pulled into the lot later than usual.

There were already a few cars parked up. He put the car in park and stepped out, waiting for me to catch up so we could walk together. I had English first anyway so we headed straight to Edward's class. We didn't get to talk that morning, as there were only a few minutes until class started. Angela came over to sit next to me.

"Just to warn you, Jess' looking for you, be prepared for the third degree," I groaned and turned to face the front again as Edward began to talk.

"Right class, I have the results of the test you did for me, I'm going to give them out for you to look over. Most of you need lots of improvements," He started walking up and down the isles handing out the tests. I was extremely nervous because I knew I hadn't been able to pay attention in class recently with my growing feelings for Edward. When he put mine on my desk he gently brushed my hand, making sure no-one could notice. I instantly felt calmer. I looked down to find an 'A*' written in red and circled along with his elegant script that said :

100% Well Done Bella, highest in the class. Keep it up

I don't know how I had a hundred percent in his class. Half of the time I wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying. I was too wrapped up in watching him. A few times, I would be staring at him, and he would catch me watching him. My cheeks would flush red, but he would just smile at me. It was very easy to let my imagination run wild with thoughts of him; especially with our new friendship making us closer.

The crush I had originally had for him had become something else, I was falling in love with him, and fast too. My heart would race whenever I'd see him, threatening to explode out of my chest. I was always happy when I thought about him, which was all the time lately.

The more I fantasized about him, the lonelier I felt. Charlie was due home in two days, but even with him there, I still felt alone. I decided that I was going to tell him I loved him. Even if he didn't feel the same, at least I would know that I had tried. My desire for him transcended any rational excuse.

**A/N - Review Please? Merci xx**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_A&E and Meeting Dr Cullen_

Gym. Great, the one lesson I don't look forward to and I have it next. I'd just skip if I wasn't relying on perfect attendance for a scholarship. I walked dejectedly to the sports barn, a separate building from the rest of the school. The scorching heat was beating down on my back making me sweat. Not attractive. I'm just glad I got to see Mr Cullen just before. I'm sure I looked worse than the elephant man at the moment.

Edward-Mr Cullen while in school-and I had been working on the newsletter all week and it was going to be printed today. The fundraiser was coming up soon. No doubt Jess would annoy me until I agreed to take part. It was going to be a car wash by the students; we'd charge $5 a car.

Jessica and Mike have been spending more alone time together before the dance. She's very excited, she thinks that the night of the dance will be when he asks her to be his girlfriend. I wish the easy relationship was possible for me, but I only seemed to like the forbidden love. Some people would say it'd the thrill of being caught. That doesn't apply to me seen as my feelings are unrequited. I still hadn't got round to telling him yet. It's seems much harder to actually put yourself out there in that situation than I thought.

I pulled off my shirt. I had a vest on underneath which was slightly cooler. I wiped my sweaty brow with the shirt before I placed it inside my bag. I wasn't used to the weather yet. Perhaps I should do the rain dance across the field. Although I didn't want them to think I was even more of a freak than they already do.

"Today we're going to play some dodge ball!" Coach said excitedly. I sighed; just another way to injure myself. I quickly made my way into the changing room to put on my kit. Navy shorts and a white Spartans vest.

"He's just so hot!" I heard Jess squeal to Lauren. Bitch Extraordinaire. "I'd love to see what he could teach me outside the classroom, if you know what I mean!" she giggled.

"Yeah Mr Cullen's sex on legs…"Lauren agreed. I rolled my eyes at their childishness. Didn't they know that a grown man would never be interested in sluts like them. Even though I like Jess, she was a bit…easy.

"I'm going to try to get some extra tutoring from him. Try and seduce him!" Lauren said. I felt myself getting angry. He was mine! No one else could have him! Whoa…where did that come from?

"Yeah. There's no way he could resist. You're so pretty" Jess agreed. Was that true? Would he give in to Lauren? I mean she was pretty, in your typical plastic bimbo way…I just hope that Mr Cullen prefers real girls. Like me.

I shifted uncomfortably in the line-up. I knew I was going to be picked last for the team. I always am. Trying to play any type of sport (or anything that includes co=ordination and agility really) with two left feet was destined for disaster. I just hope that the luck I haven't had yet would kick in.

No such luck.

I was the third one left on my team (along with Mike and Jess). We were up against five of the opposition. Tyler, Lauren, Eric, Alice and Emmett. Tyler quickly went out when he couldn't take his eyes off Lauren's ass. Typical male. Lauren didn't want to break a nail, so she quit while she still had her nails intact. Alice was unbeatable, she was so quick at dodging, it was like she was dancing and not playing competitive sport. Emmett was able to get Jess out while she was giving Mike a flirty smile. That made me laugh internally.

It was down to me and Mike against the Cullens. Mike threw a ball but Alice dodged it just in time. Emmett used all his strength to throw his ball.

It hit me directly in the face. I fell backward and could just hear the panicking voice of Emmett wondering if I had died, before I passed out.

The incessant beeping of something in the room helped me come around. I could see The bright white walls and knew instantly that I was in the hospital. This realisation made me groan and attract the attention of the few people in the room. Edward was sitting by my side. Emmett and Alice were looking guilty in the corner of the room. Then on the opposite side of my bed was a Doctor.

The Doctor had honey blonde hair and grey eyes that were gentle and caring. He was smiling slightly as he looked down on me. I couldn't help but blush when some not-so-innocent thoughts came into my head about him. Edward was still nicer, by a mile. But I had to admit that this man was hot.

"Hello Bella, I'm Doctor Cullen." He said while checking my vitals.

"H-Hey" I stuttered. _This _was Edward's adopted father? His dad was a DILF!

"How do you feel? I heard about what happened, the hit you took to your head seemed nasty" I turned to see Edward glaring over at his siblings. I quickly grabbed hold of his hand to calm him down. He turned to smile warmly at me.

"I'm fine. Really, I've had much, much worse" I told him.

"Yes I can see that by your records" Dr Cullen chuckled. I had to giggle along with him. It was a little funny how much I visited the hospital in a month. Whether it was for falling down the stairs. Tripping over in school, accidentally slipping when cooking and almost chopping my fingers off, or spilling boiling water on myself. I think the hospital was my second home.

"Yes well…I'm a little clumsy" I admitted.

"A little?" Edward scoffed "You've fallen how many times since I've met you?"

"Not a lot" I gave him a scowl and playfully punched him in the arm. This caused Emmett and Alice to laugh.

"She knows how to deal with you little brother!" Emmett teased. I, of course, turned red.

"Need I remind you that I am in fact 5 years older than you?" Edward replied.

"I know…but your how much skinnier than me?" Emmett said cheekily.

"So, you just admitted that you're fat?" Edward teased back. It was nice to see the brothers interact with each other. I'd never experienced anything like it growing up.

"No, This…is all muscle baby!" Emmett gestured to his biceps and flexed, trying to show off.

"Perhaps you two should let Bella have some peace now?" Dr Cullen spoke up for the first time in a while.

"Yeah C'mon let's go tell Esme all about this" Alice said. Smiling devilishly at Emmett. He just groaned and followed her out of the room. Dr Cullen headed towards the door.

"You need to stay with someone, Bella. Edward tells me that your father is out of town, but you need to be monitored in case you have a concussion" he turned and headed through the door. Leaving me and Edward alone.

He stroked my hand with his thumb to get my attention. When I turned my gaze to him, he gave me my crooked smile.

"Hey"

"Hi. How are you really?" he asked, concerned.

"Really, I'm fine. I just have a slight headache. But, that's to be expected"

"I could've killed Emmett. I thought something was seriously wrong when he came to get me. He just said 'Bella's gone to hospital' and I was heading here. He had to tell the school I was leaving"

"Hey-" I reached up to turn his face towards me "I'm fine, don't be too harsh on him. It was an accident"

"I know. We've made up. But seriously. I want you to be more careful okay. I don't want anything happening to you…" he trailed off as if imagining something bad happening.

"Edward" I sighed, bringing him out of his reverie. "I'm fine. Nothing's going to happen. Do you-Do you think…"

"What?" he asked.

"Never mind. It was a silly idea."

"Tell me. Please?" he asked sticking his bottom lip out slightly. I stared at his lips wishing I could kiss him. But it would be wrong. Seriously wrong and he didn't feel that way. "Bella?" Edward urged when I didn't answer.

"Oh, ummm…Can I stay with you? Just until my father gets back. I mean it's just a friend helping a friend right? I can sleep in a different room and everything. I know don't worry it was a s-" He put his finger over my lips to shut up my babbling.

"Bella, of course you can stay with me! I was going to suggest it too." He grinned.

"Oh, great" I blushed thinking of what it would be like living with Edward for a while. Perhaps I can accidentally catch him in the shower and- No! enough of that. Teacher, teacher, teacher I chanted in my head.

"We'll get you discharged and then I'll drive you to your house so that you can pack a bag. School's already finished, so neither of us have to go back. Okay?" He asked.

"Yes. Okay that'll be fine." I grinned. It would be more than fine. A whole five days with Edward would be heaven. I just hope I have the guts to tell him how I feel…

**You know what to do! Read and Review ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - I don't own Twilight, any of the characters, plot or locations that are recognisable belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unfortunately...That's not me.**

Chapter 8

_Sex Dreams And Picnics _

His lips sucked mine, His palm slowly stroking up to my breast. He traced circles just underneath, making me shiver. He was teasing me. I tried to take control, but he pinned my hands and rolled on top of me.

Our naked chests fused together, his hand was groping me; his fingers tweaking my nipples making me groan. I felt the moisture flood between my legs, he ground his erection into me making me beg for more.

I wrapped my legs around him, making his cock grind into me more, he let out a deep groan when I sucked on his neck. I trailed my hands along his chest and abs. Feeling every individual muscle. I followed his happy trail that was leading to his cock. His breathing grew quicker and I smirked, biting my lip like I know he loves. He groaned.

"Please, Bella." He pleaded. His voice increasing the wetness between my legs. "Bella, I want you."

I moved my hand down and grasped his erection. I positioned him and bucked my hips, making him enter me. His hands trailed to my ankles, lifting my legs up around his shoulders; making him enter me deeper with each thrust. His lips moved with mine as he continued his torturous pace. I slid my hand between us, rubbing my clit in circles to increase the pleasure.

"Please" I begged for climax as he rocked his hips into me, my walls started contracting around his erection. He increased his speed. Harder and faster.

"Oh fuck, Edward!." I screamed as my climax finally overcome me.

I awoke, panting and disorientated . I was in Edward's bed, the sheets thrown to the floor in my restless sleep. I sighed. This was the third night I had been here and the third time I'd had a sex dream about Edward Cullen. Everyday recently had been fun, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him how I feel for fear of rejection. I got up and stumbled through the darkness to the kitchen. Trying not to wake Edward who was sleeping on the sofa.

I poured myself a glass of water and turned around to sit at the breakfast bar. I sat there for what could have been hours. Contemplating whether I should tell him. I didn't get a clear answer.

"Good Morning" Edward said with his voice full of sleep. It made me jump as I didn't realise that he had woke up "Bad night?"

"No, just had trouble sleeping" I lied.

"Oh," He turned to make some coffee "Want some?" he asked

"Nope, I'm good thanks" I smiled as I got up to make us breakfast. Pancakes.

Edward's house was stunning. It was only small. He had one bedroom, one bathroom, a gym, a library 9 my favourite room), a kitchen/diner and a lounge area. He had a small garden that had patio and a swimming pool. It was homely yet modern. Just what I imagined my ideal home to be like.

I remember when we first got here, after I got home from Hospital. I stared in awe as he gave me a tour and squealed when I saw the library. That, of course, made him laugh. I examined all the books. He had all the classics. My favourite, along with some more modern fiction. He also had some history books, a couple of medical books, a lot of sci-fi which I did tease him about, and some poetry.

We'd spent the first night curled up by on the couch watching Underworld. I tried to argue against it but he said something about it only being fair seen as he watched Shaun Of The Dead. I couldn't argue with that. I ended up falling asleep not long after the first scene. I felt him lift me into his arms and I snuggled deeper into his chest as he carried me to his bedroom. He tucked me in and gave me a kiss on the head. With a whispered "Goodnight Bella" he left. I breathed in the scent of him that was lingering on the pillow before I fell into a deep slumber. That was the first night I dreamt of him. It had been slightly awkward the next morning, but I got over it quick enough to enjoy the rest of the day.

We'd gone out the backyard. Him with some work to mark and me with a book from his collection. We sat in comfortable silence for most of the day. Then he had made us chicken alfredo for dinner. He was a talented cook. He told me that it was all because of Esme who had insisted on teaching him before he left for university. Of course we couldn't leave out tradition. We played 2o questions for most of the night. I found out that he was originally from Chicago, where it's always horrible weather. He told me about Alice's shopaholic tendencies and Jasper's love of history. I learnt that Rosalie wanted to be a mechanic, that Emmett did actually have a brain as well as a buff body and that Esme worked as an interior designer.

I told him all about my life. How I never really fit in before and about Renee's serial dating. I told him about how I was missing my mother but enjoying being in Forks and also how I wished Charlie was around more.

Today was a Sunday and I spent the rest of the morning planning how I was going to tell Edward that I loved him. I knew I wanted it to be special. Edward spent the morning on his laptop in the lounge. He was apparently planning lessons, which needed to be done for tomorrow. He was typing away on his computer at an amazing speed.

"Hey, Edward?" I asked.

"Hmmm?" he asked, not tearing his eyes away from the screen.

"Do you want to do something tonight?"

"Sure, like what?" He asked, still looking at the screen.

"Well, I'm not sure. Do you know anywhere?"

"Are you hungry?" he asked suddenly looking over to me for the first time.

"Yes, a little, why?"

"I thought perhaps I could take you to my secret place, and we could have a picnic. It's a nice day so we should make the most of it." It did sound like a great idea, but I was extremely curious about where the 'secret place' was.

"Where is this secret place?"

"It's a secret," he smirked. He knew I didn't like secrets. I scowled at him before heading towards the door.

"I'll meet you by the car, Mr Cullen," He scowled at the name before following me to the Volvo. I looked up at the blue sky and smiled.

"Get in, we have a picnic to go to," I hurried into the car and Edward started driving. He drove passed all of the houses and we were getting further into the forest. I was getting confused.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

"No, you'll see when we get there," I huffed and turned on the radio. I started to sing along to King's Of Leon's 'Sex is on fire', which was one of my favourite songs.

"You have a lovely singing voice," Edward startled me. I'd almost forgotten he was there with me.

"Thanks," I blushed, "Your much better," He just shook his head before pulling over to the side of the road. I could see a small path leading in between the trees.

"I hope you don't want me to hike up that path, because I won't be able to do it!" I warned him.

"No, We won't be hiking up that path," he said simply before going to get the picnic basket out of the trunk. He opened the door and pulled me out.

"When did you have the time to pack a picnic?" We had been together all day there was no way he could've secretly packed it.

"I asked Esme to pack one and she dropped it off for me…you were having a shower," He started pulling me into the forest. I tripped but he put his arm out to catch me.

"I thought you said we weren't hiking?"

"No, I said we weren't hiking up that path, not that we weren't hiking at all," he laughed at my annoyed face and started to pull me along quicker. I tripped many times over tree roots and sometimes even air. After an hour or two, Edward finally started slowing again.

"Are we almost there?" I panted. My legs were aching.

"Yes. Can you see the light between those trees?" he asked, pointing to a couple of trees directly in front of us.

"Yes,"

"Well that's where were going," It only took us another few minutes to reach it. He paused just before we got there and I looked over at him wondering why he stopped. He grabbed me and pulled me in front of him.

"You go first," He whispered from behind me. I shivered as his cool breath hit the back of my neck. I stepped out into the light and gasped. It was a breathtaking little meadow. It was circular and surrounded by beautiful fir trees. The grass was a vibrant green with many purple and white flowers scattered about.

"This…is my secret place. Do you like it?" he asked from behind me.

"No," I walked further into the meadow, taking it all in. "I love it!" I laughed.

Edward jogged over to where I was and put down a blanket before sitting upon it. I fell onto it still laughing. I stared up at the clouds and felt Edward shift next to me. He lied down next to me, looking up at the sky.

"I see a clown," I said, looking up at one of the fluffy clouds.

"Where?" He asked. I pointed up to it.

"There. See it?" I asked looking over at him.

"It looks more like a dog to me," he was frowning up at the sky.

"It looks like a clown if you look up at it from the side," I said turning my head to the side in demonstration. He copied and chuckled.

"So it does! Are you hungry?" He sat up and started pulling things out of the picnic basket.

"Starving," I admitted. We both pulled out the rest of the food and started unwrapping it. Esme had gone to lots of trouble, with sandwiches, pasta, all different sodas and cookies.

"My mother really likes to cook," Edward laughed.

"I can see that!" I agreed while putting some pasta on my plate.

We ate in a comfortable silence. When I had finished I lied back to look at the clouds again. It was one thing I liked about Forks, the clouds. I was always too foggy in London to see the clouds properly.

"Actually it does look more like a dog,"

"What?" Edward asked between mouthfuls of food.

"The cloud, it looks like a dog, you're right,"

"Your still on about that? It's been an hour" He laughed.

"Yes well, I like looking at the clouds. Charlie and I used to play cloud watching when he used to visit. Sometimes I miss it you know?"

"I know," he had already put all the food away.

We lied there for hours. I was on my side, facing Edward. I ran my fingers along his arm that was beside him while deep in thought. I was thinking about how much happier I was since meeting Edward. He tickled me out of my reverie. He held me down, attacking my sides until I begged for mercy. When we both stopped laughing, we realised what position we were in. I was laying flat on my back and Edward was hovering over me with his hands on either side of my head.

My eyes wandered down to his faultlessly formed lips. I stretched up to trace them lightly with the tips of my fingers. His emerald eyes watched me warily, but I didn't look up at them. I kept my eyes on his lips and watched as they parted, letting his cold breath run over my fingers as he exhaled. I had the irresistible need to kiss him, I was finally going to act on the feelings I had for him.

My eyes glanced up to meet his and he was looking back at me with an overwhelming amount of love in his eyes. I felt him slowly leaning in, I began to move towards him as well, letting my eyes close. He gently pressed his lips to mine. It was like nothing I had ever imagined. I reached up to run my fingers through his hair, it was so soft. I dragged my tongue along his bottom lip asking for entrance. He complied. We eventually broke apart gasping for breath.

"I love you"

**A/N - Who said it first? you'll have to wait and see... Review please? xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - I don't own Twilight. I only own the plot of this story! Everything else belongs to the lovely Stephanie Meyer. **

**I know i keep asking, but can you please review. there's a lot more people reading than there is reviewing. I would really appreciate it if you could just tell me whether you love it/hate it, or any critisism (as long as it's constructive and not just "OMG, This is shit!" :D) Thanks xxx **

**Okay on with the story...**

Chapter 9

_Fundraisers And Requited Feelings_

"_I love you" _

The sentence kept on repeating in my head. God, how stupid was I? He didn't like me. I mean who would like plain Bella? Maybe I was just day-dreaming. But, it felt so real to me. He was so fun and loving yesterday. I saw the change in him instantly as soon as I uttered those words. I wish I'd never said anything at all now…perhaps we'd still be friends at least.

He had told me that he didn't think we should be together. That kissing me was wrong and it should've never have happened. He was my teacher and nothing else. The drive back to town was extremely awkward. The only words uttered between us was when I asked him to drop me off at Jessica's house. I text her on my way to tell her that I needed to stay with her. Charlie was due back tomorrow anyways, but Edward insisted on me staying with a friend.

Of course she gave me the third degree when I arrived at her house. Asking where had I been, why Mr Cullen was dropping me off and if something was going on between us. At least I could give her one definite answer. Nothing, was going on between us and nothing ever would.

I was worried about telling him how I felt for fear of rejection. We'll it seems that my fears were warranted. I had unrequited feelings for my teacher. Gees, that sounded like something out of a trashy romance novel!

I had silently cried all of last night and my face was still puffy this morning, even after my shower. I quickly put on my outfit from yesterday. I skipped breakfast; I wasn't in the mood. Jess and I got into her car, she was surprisingly quiet during the ride there. We parted ways when we got there, she had a lesson in the other building. I was walking down the school corridor, almost in a daze, willing the lump in my throat to disappear and desperately willing the tears away. I would not cry today.

We only had three lessons today because of the fundraiser. The car wash. It turns out Jessica can be a persuasive bitch. She got me when I was down and asked me to help her out yesterday. Of course, I couldn't say no when I wanted to shut her up and wallow in my own self-pity. Unfortunately, today's first lesson was English with a certain Mr Cullen, and I was already late.

I tried to sneak into the back of the classroom. The lesson hadn't actually started yet and so I was able to get to my seat and get my book out before Edward turned around. I could see his eyes search the room until he spotted me. His eyes only lingered for a second before he looked down at some sheets on his desk.

"Today, we should have a discussion on what we've read so far, make sure everyone's on the same page, so to speak" he gave a half-hearted grin to the class. I was already missing my crooked grin that made me happy no matter what.

"So, what do we think of the character of Romeo so far?" he asked.. No-one put their hand up, so he picked Angela.

"Well, I think it's nice that Romeo has this undying love for Juliet. I mean, he would literally do anything, even die, for her. You don't see love like that very often. He's quite strong and determined. I think he's a really good, complex character…" you could see the slight tinge of pink in her cheeks. She was like me…she didn't like giving her opinion in class. I did happen to notice Edward's eyes linger on me slightly. But, I ignored it. He made his feelings clear and I would not entertain my fantasies any longer.

"Do you all agree?" he asked the class. "well, personally I disagree. I mean, he was in love before Juliet came along with Rosaline. Doesn't it make him slightly fickle to leave her for his supposedly 'one-true-love' ?"

The discussion continued. The bell rang. The fundraiser began. Time seemed to speed by when your stuck inside your own head. I was desperately trying to figure out what Edward meant by what he said in class. Had he been hurt before? By someone he loved, a girlfriend? I guess I would never find out what made him so bitter towards love. It's like the word repelled him or something.

I met up with Jess in the parking lot. Lauren, Tyler, Mike, Eric, Angela, Ben and I were the volunteers. Go us! Things weren't so bad. Mr Banner brought his little car over. It took less than five minutes to get it cleaned and rinsed. I was on a roll! I was now on my fourth car. It was actually becoming fun when _he _brought his car over. He gave his $5 to Lauren who gave him a flirtatious wink in return. I glared at her before storming over to his car with my bucket and sponge.

No way, was I going to give her the opportunity of seducing him. He was mine. Even if he didn't want to be. I started to soap up the car, it was hard to reach the top, I'd have to get someone else to help. I turned round to try and spot one of the boys who could reach when I was splashed by the hose Jess was using. I looked up at her only to see her innocent expression. I knew she had done it, it was obvious.

I could see some people staring and looked down to see that my white top had gone completely see-through and my dark blue bra was visible. I, predictably, turned beet red and ran into the nearest building. I shut myself in an unlocked classroom and rested my head in my hands. How embarrassing. Practically the whole school had seen my bra. I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"Bella?" called the all too familiar voice. "Bella!" he called louder. I still didn't answer. He eventually found me. I could feel his presence in the room. I didn't lift my head. I couldn't look at him now, I was too embarrassed.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked. I could hear the worry and pity in his tone.

"Fine!" I snapped at him. I didn't want his pity!

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about Bella! All the school have seen much more of some of the other girls I'm sure" he joked. I finally looked up and was met by his piercing gaze. He gave me that crooked smile I'd missed.

"Yeah, I bet" I giggled.

"Bella…" I could hear his voice change. I looked up at him once more but he wasn't looking at me, or rather my face. His eyes were transfixed on my breasts which were still visible through my soaked shirt.

"Oh. Fuck it… " he exclaimed before his lips crashed to mine.

"I love you too" he whispered when he finally pulled away. I could feel the smile light up my face. We'd still have to talk, but hopefully we'd be able to work things out and be together. Just that possibility made me happier than I had been in a long time.

**So, what'd ya think? I know that the chapters are still quite short, but i want to keep the suspense, lol :) R&R Madame xx**


End file.
